Arlene Martel has performed in a
great many productions in her career, ranging from the
character of "Consuela" in the Outer Limits episode
"Demon With A Glass Hand", to a red-haired Irish
wench who held was
captive on Battlestar Gallactica, to the flawlessly logical
"T'Pring" in the Star Trek episode Amok Time. Yet in
each of these roles, as well as many others, her physical
appearance is so completely different that many people may not
realize that each character is played by the same
actress. Arlene's ability to make such transformations
earned her the nickname "The Chameleon" while
working at Universal Studios. She is often unrecognizable not
only by virtue of her looks, but by her name as well. Her
earliest work was done as Arline Sax, which changed shortly
after to Arlene Martel.
Until the age of eight the Bronx
ghetto was her domain. There Arlene's playground was an empty
lot filled with broken glass where she regularly played,
allowing her imagination to take her places she could only
dream of at the time. Then, after her mother's millionaire
boss saw the conditions of his employee and her gifted child,
he appointed himself benefactor, and had her whisked out of
the ghetto and into a very posh boarding school in
Connecticut, where her creativity both in acting and writing
was recognized and encouraged.
For Arlene, the desire to act came
early in life, yet the degree of interest remained unknown
until her teenage years. "At the age of twelve, without
my mothers knowledge or consent., I auditioned for the high
school of the Performing Arts (the school the movie
"Fame" was written about.). Upon graduating I was
awarded the school's drama award, it's highest honor. One or
her teachers there was Sidney Lumet, who has since
become a renowned director ("Serpico", "Twelve Angry
Men")." I
still retain some of those deeply bonded, early friendships
from those inspiring years." In her late teens she auditioned for
and won the part of "Esther" in "Uncle Willie" which
ran for five months on Broadway.
After moving west, Arlene had an
active career in television, appearing on such series as
"Columbo", "I Dream of Jeannie",
"Bewitched", the classic "Twilight
Zone" (amongst sixty-five others and, of course, Star Trek as
Spock's Vulcan wife "T'Pring" who challenges Kirk to
fight to the death for her.
"The primary lesson for me on
Amok Time was a lesson in K.I.S.S. ("Keep It Simple,
Stupid").
Our director Joe Pevney, contrary to what most directors
usually request of the actor, said "give me less, give me
less". Previous to that, most of the women I played had
been highly charged with emotion. Playing a character as
emotionally controlled as "T'Pring" was certainly a
first for me. It was a welcome challenge," she
continues. "Controlling my energy was a very wonderful
discipline, and playing a person who was ruled by logic was
also a new experience. Now, hopefully, I've integrated both,
but at the time it was my first professional encounter with an
analytical and objective being."
"Amok Time" wasn't her first encounter
with Star Trek. "Originally there was interest in me for
the pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before" but I
simply could not wear the contact lenses required for the
part. She was also considered for the role in "Catspaw"
"I was disappointed in not getting the part, but
there are blessings in some losses.
At this point in her life, Arlene is
entering a new period of great energy and creativity. She is
acting, writing and producing.

Current Photo

Film Reel

List of Film Clips

Wild Wild West
"Night of the Circus of
Death"
Outer Limits (available on VHS)
"Demon with the Glass Hand"
Have Gun Will Travel
"Princess and the Gunfighter"
(available from Columbia House)
Star Trek "Amok Time"
(available on VHS and DVD)
Hogan's Heroes
"A Tiger Hunt in Paris"
(available from Columbia House)
I Dream of Jeannie
"Russian Roulette"